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Yo! AOL email is bouncing and they aren't giving us a way to get off their blacklist. If you're registered with an AOL email address and you have another one you can use in your settings, please change your email on record, so you can get the notifications you're expecting.

Since this has become such a hot topic, I thought it was time to try and centralize the discussion.
One thread on how people went about getting added as AUs, then how they got their own AmExes backdated, should help everybody.
Some people like Dr. Tang, and my graduate are coy, and don't want to draw attention to themselves, I understand.
But those who are willing to share their experiences, please STRUT away.

****Note: As of March 2015, Amex no longer backdates any accounts, regardless of MSD. Any backdated accounts already reporting are grandfathered in.

My name is MMM and I am a backdated, Gold AMEX card carrying, AU graduate.

I was given the opportunity to become an AU out of the unselfish, kindness of BW's heart. He is such a sweet person! Who is NOT shy (or coy at all)! I never requested to be added as an AU, it was offered to me and even though providing personal information was required, I felt it was right for me. In July 2010, I saw my first AMEX C/L show up on my credit report. First it was on EX, then it followed on the other two.

In August, I applied for my own card. I did not have a specific reason to request the gold card, I just thought it was pretty. I never received any pre-approvals before that.

In regards to my backdating experience, shortly after activating my card I called to request that it be backdated. I was initially told NO and that's when I received my first F/R. At the conclusion of my first F/R I received a call from a AMEX supervisor and was told that my card was unfrozen and he thanked me for becoming part of the AMEX family. I then took that opportunity to again request that my card be backdated. He said he would take care of it and he did. The next month, my AAOA was looking pretty sexy!

I keep referencing my first F/R because I am currently going through my second F/R, and I sincerely believe that it is only because one of myAU's innocently enough used the card on PayPal for an EBAY purchase. So far, the update of this most recent F/R is that they specifically advised me of my pre-set spending limit, BUT they are still not unfreezing the account until they further investigate what they have defined as suspicious usage of my AU. So being an AU is cool, but please be careful how you use the card.

The only other thing I would mention about being an AU is, you will have privileged information such as the primary card holder's address, and you will need to protect that information just as diligently as you would your own. And also, when you apply for different types of cards later on (I'm speaking of ones like Citi, Chase, GEMB or whatever) you will need to keep that address in mind because from that point on, some of the identifying questions the other lenders will ask will be associated that address because it will show as a previous address.

I hope some of this helps and (since it looks like I will have quite a while to just sit and listen to my arteries harden while I wait for my FICO to increase) feel free to ask me any questions you like.

I use my card at least once a week at Walmart, and shop online with ebay and thru Paypal all the time and have not triggered any F/R YET!!! so who knows...

Really? Wow! How seasoned is your card? Mine is a charge card that is "technically" (technically is defined as when they originally issued it to me) less than 1 year old with 3 AUs so far. Maybe that had something to do with my 2nd F/R and their concern also. The PayPal payment was the only charge on it at the time, so there must have been something they did not like about it. But you are right, who really knows.

Good idea Bob! I will be added as an AU soon and I'll be attempting to have my two recent AMEX accounts backdated. It will be interesting to see how AMEX handles it, especially since one of the cards is a Zync and they seem to be a bit reluctant to backdate that product.

Good idea Bob! I will be added as an AU soon and I'll be attempting to have my two recent AMEX accounts backdated. It will be interesting to see how AMEX handles it, especially since one of the cards is a Zync and they seem to be a bit reluctant to backdate that product.

Excellent idea Bob, as I have been looking for this information for the last few weeks!

I got my own card this month, and then asked my dad about adding me as an AU on his green (which I thought dated back to 1968, but in fact dates back to 1965). After I get the AU card, I'll see about getting mine back-dated to dad's year

Excellent idea Bob, as I have been looking for this information for the last few weeks!

I got my own card this month, and then asked my dad about adding me as an AU on his green (which I thought dated back to 1968, but in fact dates back to 1965). After I get the AU card, I'll see about getting mine back-dated to dad's year

I'm pretty sure a family member requesting backdating, will have a much easier time of it than some of my AUs.

It was ballsy enough asking my dad about adding me as an AU... asking AmEx about backdating (this sounds absolutely silly) makes me nervous. But, as my dad said, you'll never get a 'yes' unless you ask the question! I still haven't gotten the AU card yet, and it was requested by my dad on 02/09 - they soft-pulled exp. I called AmEx about it yesterday, they asked some verification questions, and they popped the card in the mail. I should've asked about backdating my card then!

From my experience with AU's I approached my dad about being added, We both talked to the AMEXCSR together they informed be that because his first AMEX was a corporate card and even though his personal card is back dated to the date of the corporate card they would show the AU account as opening the day he opened his most recent account and guess what 5 months ago... Not really going to help, He got his corporate AMEX in 1989 and still carries it. From my understanding he's basically just an AU on that account because the company he works for owns that account. Anyhow sorry for that rant, I thought I was in with some back dating but no dice. Worst case scenario my brother has a gold card he got 5 years ago, better then nothing but I'm still looking!

It was ballsy enough asking my dad about adding me as an AU... asking AmEx about backdating (this sounds absolutely silly) makes me nervous. But, as my dad said, you'll never get a 'yes' unless you ask the question! I still haven't gotten the AU card yet, and it was requested by my dad on 02/09 - they soft-pulled exp. I called AmEx about it yesterday, they asked some verification questions, and they popped the card in the mail. I should've asked about backdating my card then!

Yes, having an AU charge card already saying Member Since 1965, makes your own easier down the road.

From my experience with AU's I approached my dad about being added, We both talked to the AMEXCSR together they informed be that because his first AMEX was a corporate card and even though his personal card is back dated to the date of the corporate card they would show the AU account as opening the day he opened his most recent account and guess what 5 months ago... Not really going to help, He got his corporate AMEX in 1989 and still carries it. From my understanding he's basically just an AU on that account because the company he works for owns that account. Anyhow sorry for that rant, I thought I was in with some back dating but no dice. Worst case scenario my brother has a gold card he got 5 years ago, better then nothing but I'm still looking!